Sustainability Appraisal Strategic Environmental Assessment

1
Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic
Environmental Assessment

• SA Scoping Report for
• Waste Minerals Development Framework
• Stakeholder Workshop
• Eastbourne, 20th March 2007

2
What are SEA and SA?

• Aims of SEA
• to provide for a high level of protection of the
  environment and contribute to the integration of
  environmental considerations into the preparation
  and adoption of plans....with a view to promoting
  sustainable development
• Aims of SA
• to ensure the consideration of economic and
  social effects of plans, as well as environmental
  effects

3
UK Strategy for Sustainable Development

• A better Quality of Life A strategy for
  sustainable development for the United Kingdom
  (DETR, 1999)
• Four national sustainable development aims
• - Effective protection of the environment
• - Prudent use of natural resources
• - Maintenance of high and stable levels of
  growth and employment
• - Social progress which meets the needs of
  everyone

4
UK Strategy for Sustainable Development

• Securing the future The UK Government
  Sustainable Development Strategy (Defra, March
  2005)
• Built on the 4 aims, setting out a new purpose
  to achieve sustainable development in an
  integrated way
• Proposed 5 shared UK principles to achieve the SD
  purpose
• Agreed 4 priorities for immediate action

5
Stages of plan-making and SEA/SA
6
Integrating Plan-making and the SA

• Start SA early
• Integrate information collection
• Consider key sustainability issues when
  identifying options for the plan
• Combine consultation processes
• Use the SA to inform key plan decisions
• Close working between planners and those
  responsible for the SA

7
Why do SA?

• Sounder plans
• More sustainable plans
• Better decisions
• More sustainable patterns and forms of
  development

8
Stage A Scoping

• Setting context and SEA/SA objectives,
  establishing baseline and deciding on scope
• - A1 Identifying other relevant policies, plans
  and programmes and sustainability objectives.
• - A2 Collecting baseline information.
• - A3 Identifying sustainability issues and
  problems.
• - A4 Developing the SA framework (may involve
  stakeholders).
• - A5 Consulting on the scope of the SA (Scoping
  Report).

9
(No Transcript)
10
Identifying Sustainability Issues
11
Baseline data collection

• Link to key sustainability issues and problems
• Link to appraisal objectives
• Link with evidence base collected for the plan
• Ask data holders what it is relevant
• Concentrate on potential significant effects
• Identify key gaps

12
Development of Appraisal Objectives

• Use ODPM SA Guidance as a starting point.
• Check against requirements of the SEA Directive.
• Consider SA objectives from higher tier plans
  (e.g. South East Plan and Integrated Regional
  Frameworks).
• Ensure that key issues for East Sussex and
  Brighton Hove are addressed.

13
Development of SA Framework
14
Practical Exercise 1

• In the first column, place sticky dots next to
  the 5 sustainability issues you feel are most
  important to East Sussex and Brighton Hove
• Use post-it notes to write any comments about
  your reasons, or to note any sustainability
  issues you think have been missed
• In the second column, place sticky dots next to
  the 5 sustainability issues that the WMDF could
  have the most influence over

15
Stage B Appraising effects of the plan

• Predicting effects of the plan
• - Identifying changes to sustainability baseline
• - Comparing with business as usual and SA
  objectives
• - Describing effects

Magnitude Geographical scale Time
period Permanent / temporary Positive/Negative Li
kelihood Cumulative Synergistic
? - - 0 /-
16
Stage B Appraising effects
17
Practical Exercise 2

• Carry out broad appraisal of the three
  hypothetical options for provision of facilities
  to deal with recycled and secondary aggregates
• Use the SA Framework (i.e. SA objectives) to
  assess the sustainability strengths and
  weaknesses of each option
• Can you determine the most sustainable option?